9 killed as car bomb rocks Syria

At least nine people were killed and 25 injured on Thursday when a car bomb detonated in Syria's northwestern coastal city of Latakia.

The bomb exploded near the municipal stadium on Syria's northwest coast, a region that has remained under government control, Efe news reported.

A city healthcare spokesman said nine bodies and 25 injured people had arrived at the Jabuleh city hospital.

The bombing came amid a ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia that took effect last week.

Since the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Latakia has largely avoided the large-scale destruction experienced by other cities such as Aleppo which is located inland to the east.

 

Its relative stability led it to become a strategic military and naval headquarters for President Bashar Al-Assad's government forces and their Russian allies.

--IANS

soni/mr